Independent (Uganda)
Ugandan news magazine published in Kampala.
The Independent, a Kampala news magazine, mapped the 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine race, reporting Moderna's and Oxford's candidates in Phase 1 before CEPI funded a Minapharm vaccine on 27 August 2026.
Last refreshed: 4 October 2026
Timeline for Independent (Uganda)
Listed faster vaccine rivals
Pandemics and Biosecurity: Mentioned in: CEPI awards Minapharm US$16.5m for EbolaBackground
The Independent is a Ugandan news magazine founded in 2007 by the journalist Andrew Mwenda. Based in Kampala, it publishes in print and online at Independent.co.ug, and covers general and business news, analysis and East African affairs.
Its 2026 report "Ebola outbreak is DRC's worst; where is the vaccine?" set out where the Bundibugyo vaccine candidates stood. It reported Moderna's mRNA-1469 in a Phase 1 trial in Canada from early August, and Oxford's ChAdOx1 candidate, made with the Serum Institute of India, in Phase 1 since July. Both were ahead of the candidate from Egypt's Minapharm, which CEPI funded with up to $16.5m on 27 August for a first safety trial in Africa.
The Independent charted the vaccine race
The Independent's 2026 report 'Ebola outbreak is DRC's worst; where is the vaccine?' tracked each Bundibugyo candidate. The Kampala magazine put Moderna's mRNA-1469 in a Phase 1 trial in Canada from early August, and Oxford's ChAdOx1, made with the Serum Institute of India, in Phase 1 since July.
Egypt's Minapharm trailed both: CEPI's award of up to $16.5m on 27 August 2026 only funded its first safety study on the continent. For Kampala readers in 2026, the magazine set the one African-made candidate at the back of a race to stop an outbreak next door in DR Congo.